Genetic analysis of the maintenance of neuronal morphology in Drosophila melanogaster

Precise control of cellular morphology is critical for both the development and maintenance of nervous systems. In the developing Drosophila eye, normal photoreceptor cells establish and maintain a highly polarized architecture, with cell bodies and nuclei located apically in the epithelium, and axons extending basally into the brain. Disruption of the Dynactin complex, which activates the minus-end-directed microtubule motor protein Dynein, causes mislocalization of photoreceptor nuclei basally, even into the optic stalk and brain. Photoreceptors in animals mutant for the Dynactin subunit Glued retain apical markers, but have a bipolar-like morphology with the cell body translocated toward the brain and an apical process extending to the surface of the eye disc. Dynactin is required post-mitotically to maintain proper nuclear positioning. Using a genetic screen, I identified loss-of-function alleles of kinesin heavy chain, encoding a subunit of the plus-end-directed microtubule motor Kinesin, as suppressors of the rough eye and nuclear mispositioning in Glued mutants. Thus, a balance of minus-end-directed and plus-end-directed microtubule motor forces may be required to maintain nuclear position within postmitotic neurons.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biology.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Whited, Jessica LaMae, 1976-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Paul A. Garrity.

• Biology.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34577
• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier URI

http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34577

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/34577